


King amongst men

by Occultist



Series: Historical Oneus [1]
Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitter Hwanwoong, Broke College Student Ravn, Cute Leedo, Gen, Historical Figures, Light Angst, Reincarnation, Seoho Cameo, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2020-12-27 00:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 7,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21110024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Occultist/pseuds/Occultist
Summary: Every hundred or so years a person will be reincarnated as their former self. Geonhak is one of those people, having lived his former life as the Great King Sejong. He's searching for others like him in order to reminisce about the past, someone who he can connect to.Youngjo is just a college kid who just so happens to share a name with a long-dead Joseon king. Low on cash, he moves into a relatively cheap place-Hwanwoong's cheap place-and soon finds that he has to deal with a strange man called Geonhak who just won't leave him alone on this whole reincarnation thing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know that it's not only Leedo who shares a name with historical figures? Youngjo is named after the Joseon king meanwhile Hwanwoong is named after a mythological character, Hwanung.

Youngjo wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand as the sunlight bears down on him like a rain of arrows. Jesus, he picked a bad time to move into a new place. His back ached, no doubt from him pulling his suitcase up all these stone stairs. Finally, finally, he reached the top of this hellish trial and is met with misfortune once more.

It seems like the gate is locked, which is absurd because he has the key right here with him. Seriously, it was delivered right to him when he decided to rent out a room here so how is it not unlocking? Shove the key right into the keyhole and turn to unlock. Simple. So why isn’t it working? 

This building doesn’t look particularly old. The outer walls reminded him of a more rustic style home, something you might find in historical dramas and Youngjo wasn’t the biggest fan of historical things. Sure, it’s cool at first but one might find themselves growing fond of the more modern features the 21st century has to offer. But hey, cheap rent. 

Perhaps a bit too cheap because Youngjo found it suspicious that rent here is a bit below the average for Seoul. There’s gotta be a catch but nothing bad stood out to him on the website. “Special price,” the owner said during their text exchange. “Take it or leave it.” A cool breeze passes by and he fiddles with the keys again, only to give up and sit down, his legs hanging over the stairs. The black suitcase sits idly by as it absorbs the cruel sunlight. 

“Need help?” 

Cursing, Youngjo nearly jumps when a kind sounding voice interrupts his silence of frustration. He scrambles away, hands moving to steady himself on the stone ground and is sharply pulled back once he realizes that fuck, it’s hot. 

Craning his head up, he sees a man in a black tee, slacks, and thin floral overcoat. Youngjo has half a mind to ask if this stranger is overheating because even wearing a shirt seems to be too much for today. Where did this guy even come from anyways?  
  
“Uh.” Youngjo starts, slowing coming to the realization of how goddamn dry his mouth was right now. Too bad he drained the water bottle earlier. “My key doesn’t work.” He stands, not wanting the other to strain their neck and notes the height difference. “Do you live here? I’m a new tenant.” The key is held out for the man to look at and they perk up at his words.

“Oh! Yes, yes I know who you are now. Youngjo, right?”

Youngjo nods.

“I’m Hwanwoong but let’s get you out of the sun.” Hwanwoong looks a bit too cheery as he reaches into the pocket of his pants and brandishes his own set of keys. “You needed this.” He says, holding up a differently shaped one. “The gate key. Normally it’s unlocked but I’m the one who does it when I go out.” 

Ah. So he’s the source of his struggle. 

Youngjo stands off to the side as he watches Hwanwoong unlock the gate and motions for him to come in once it’s pushed open. It’s a bit more spacious, a little walkway leading right up to the entrance. Paved stone blocks guide his way as meticulously cared for greenery forms a natural path. “I’ll make sure to copy a gate key for you later.” The other smiles again, his lilac hair looking pretty in the sunlight.

Youngjo had already seen the interior of this place online but the photos were a bit misleading because, damn, it looked even more historical in person. The floorboards are a pretty oak, hallways on the thinner side- hell, even the walls are wooden screen panels. Hwanwoong must’ve noticed his pause because he waves off his concern. “We have modern amenities.” 

Of course. How silly of him to think otherwise. 

He doesn’t need to be told to take off his shoes, that fact is obvious enough when slippers and several pairs of shoes are in the little entrance area. “Make yourself comfortable, yeah? I’ll get you something to drink.” Youngjo nods, his footsteps muffled as he enters the main room. He parked his suitcase at the entrance area, not wanting the wheels to dirty this place. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so judging with the price tag because right now this place is heaven compared to the other apartments. 

It’s not terribly small, the main room. Minimalistic, even. A television is hung up on a wall to the side and a coffee table sits at the center of the room. No chairs, just cushions. Other than a shelf or two with ornamental decorations on it, there’s really nothing to write home about. 

The college student has to do a double-take when a blonde man in a royal kings’ robe enters the room from one of the hallways. What world is he living in again? But it seems like the other man has the same idea too, stopping when their eyes meet. 

“You look just like him.” He says, a fondness in his already deep voice. Youngjo doesn’t understand why of course, having never met this soft cheeked man with a voice that could swallow him whole. Who does he look like? And why is this man dressed like he just walked out of a historical drama?

“What?” 

“Okay, okay, have something to cool yourself down,” Hwanwoong announces his presence in a sing-song tone as he returns. “Wouldn’t want anyone to get heat exhaustion.” A cup is forced into Youngjo’s hand. A nice cup of cold, sweet tea.

“Geonhak!” Hwanwoong exclaims dramatically and Youngjo is beginning to think that this man might not be so reliable after all. “So wonderful to see you walking about at this time of day.” 

“That is not my name.” Geonhak looks equally just as confused as him because Hwanwoong has already placed his hands on his shoulder. “And I am up for most of the day.” The lilac-haired man is quick to smile warmly at the other’s protest. “Yes, yes, I know but we should let the new tenant settle down first.” It’s almost as if he’s his mother having to soothe a noisy child- which really isn’t too far from what Youngjo is seeing right now because Geonhak looks like he’s going to pout and he just doesn’t know what to make of this situation. 

It’s a grown man, presumably cosplaying with that nice-looking robe of his. That’s Youngjo’s best guess anyway. 

Hwanwoong motions for him to continue on like nothing’s happening right now. “Left hallway, turn right at the corner.” He mentions, too busy dealing with Geonhak's complaint to address other matters.


	2. Chapter 2

Youngjo doesn’t have much to organize. He had enough foresight to pack lightly, only taking the bare necessities with him. Laptop, charger, clothes, and toiletries. A set of playing cards too, it was useful on the train ride here. Solitare and card tricks are the only things keeping him sane at the moment. Besides, it’s not like he owned much anyways. 

He really should ask for the wifi.

The room is small but cozy, a bed neatly tucked into the corner with a desk across from it. It’s not like he needed much space anyways, all he would be doing is just sleeping here. It’s too bad there’s no air conditioning but hey, cheap rent. A window sits open, inviting the rare summer breeze inside so adding a cheap fan would definitely help with combating the heat.

Youngjo reaches into the pocket of his shorts, intending to send a text message when he pauses, his hand encountering nothing but empty space. “My phone.” Pulling his hand out, he pats himself down and a small wave of panic washes over him when it’s not on his person. Did he leave it behind on the train? 

_ Okay Youngjo, don’t panic. _

Yeah, that’s easy for his brain to say. Maybe he should check outside- he might’ve left it there. Youngjo’s movements are quick, the door to his room shutting close behind him as he follows the hallway’s path. All he wanted was his phone back and nothing more. The student momentarily forgets about Geonhak and his strange historical fixation right up until a solid mass is blocking his path. 

Geonhak stares down at him with nothing but curiosity on his face. It looks like he’s still cosplaying because he hasn’t changed out of those robes yet. “What are you in such a hurry for?” 

“Phone. It’s gone missing.” It's all Youngjo can say before his anxiety gets the better of him. Angling himself, he ends up slipping past the befuddled man who reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a small, suspicious rectangle-shaped object. “This?” Geonhak waves it a bit as if brandishing the darn thing and Youngjo turns around, desperately hoping that it was actually in the guy’s hand and not a joke. 

“You were never that responsible anyways.” The man says as he extends his arm out for the other to take it. 

Youngjo pauses when those spoken words sounded a bit too harsh on his ears. “Excuse me?”

“That is how you failed to see a revolt building in one of your districts.” Oh. He’s talking crazy again. Youngjo chooses to brush it off as he pockets his phone, already somewhat used to it. Which in hindsight, is a bit concerning but as long as Geonhak isn’t hurting anyone it should be fine. 

A buzzing noise catches both of their attention. The screen lights up and it’s Seoho, texting to ask if he’s gotten to the apartment yet. “You should respond. It has done that several times already.” Geonhak informs him as the sleeves of his robes slide down to hide his arms.

“I found it on the floor.” He continues as if sensing the other’s concern. “Perhaps one might be inclined to protect their belongings. A crack in a dam invites disaster.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjo, Hwanwoong, and Geonhak make a trip to the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because I won't be able to post the chapter(s) on monday. This will most likely be the case for the next week as well.

“Hwanwoong,” Youngjo grumbles as he holds the shopping basket in one hand while the three of them perused the department store’s shelves. Three as in him, the always dressed in floral man Hwanwoong, and Geonhak. “Is this really necessary?” He really didn’t ask for this but was somehow dragged out on a shopping trip by the other men. “It’ll be fun! Think of it as a bonding experience between roommates.” Hwanwoong exclaimed earlier as he was tugging Youngjo out the door.

Geonhak seems immune to the curious stares of other shop-goers as he follows them. No, it’s not the blonde hair catching everyone’s attention- it’s the hanbok. 

Hwanwoong merely smiles at the question and a pack of toilet paper is tossed into the basket. “I told you before, young king. Mundane tasks like these will help you appreciate the slow-moving parts of life.” Geonhak speaks, once again launching into the philosophical lessons that he really seems to like sharing for some reason. This is the fourth one Youngjo’s heard and it’s only been twenty minutes after they walked in.

“He’s right, you know.” Hwanwoong continues to add weight to the basket by generously putting some snacks into it. “You college kids don’t appreciate the beauty of everyday life.”  
  
“How old are you again?”

“Old enough to tell you to stop and smell the roses.”  
  
“Okay, grandpa.” Eyes rolling, the three seemed to have reached the electronics section in no time. Youngjo barely got a chance to redirect them to the checkout but Geonhak seems to have other ideas when he rushes up to a tv display, his hanbok fluttering behind him. Hwanwoong doesn’t look like he’s in any hurry to go home but it’s not like Youngjo can just leave so he’s forced to follow after this man-child. 

Some onlookers giggle and point at the blonde man because they find his actions cute. Others direct their attention to his hanbok and the fact that he’s staring at the screen with such intensity one might think he was trying to merge with it. It’s like whatever’s on the tv has completely captured his attention because no amount of “heys” and “dude” can get him to budge. Just to go with that, it seems like Geonhak hasn’t noticed the onlookers recording his cute actions. Youngjo, on the other hand, finds his behavior akin to a child. A strange child as a matter of fact. 

He shouldn’t have been so surprised to see that it was none other than a historical movie trailer being played. 

“Geon-ah,” Youngjo tugs on the guy’s sleeve as the trailer audio continues to play in the background. “We should go. You can watch this later-” Perhaps he’s said something he shouldn’t have because Geonhak’s attention is completely on the fact that one could rewatch something to their heart’s content. It’s a bit uncomfortable, being stared down like this. “How?” He questions with such intensity in his voice that Youngjo could’ve sworn the man was interrogating him.

“CD player.” Hwanwoong cuts in as he comes back with a small-looking package in his arms. When did he walk off? “Lets you watch anything you want and replay it.” Releasing the college student from his brief interrogation session, Geonhak shuffles forward to hold the box to inspect it. “And!” Hwanwoong takes the opportunity to brandish the DVD cases he was hiding behind his back. “I got you some historical flicks.” 

If there is a god, his name is Hwanwoong. “Okay, I think it’s time to go.” Geonhak doesn’t even protest when Youngjo’s got his free hand tugging him towards the direction of the exit because he’s too busy being entranced by a goddamn CD player like a child receiving his Christmas present. 


	4. Chapter 4

Getting to and from class has proven to be a bit challenging. Youngjo's legs feel like jelly after climbing all those damn stairs and it's really not something he needed after a long day of filling his head with information.

“Is he still watching that?” The answer is yes, but Youngjo felt inclined to ask because he left this place early in the morning because of class and Geonhak was already there in the main room, the tv on and a stack of DVDs right next to him.

Hwanwoong nods as he helps himself to some snacks they bought the other day.

Youngjo shrugs, not finding this surprising at all. Bag slung across his back, he nearly passes the low standing table by another step when Geonhak suddenly growls a “Halt.” His voice is deep, almost guttural and for a moment, a brief moment, chills ran down his spine. If Youngjo had to compare, it would sound like the man was commanding an army. He wouldn’t lie though, that order took control of his body, forcing him to stop in his path.

Opening his mouth to protest, Youngjo is cut off once more by a raised, open-palmed hand. “Silence.” What is this guy’s problem, ordering him around like this? 

Hwanwoong doesn’t seem to have cared because he’s still munching on snacks.

“You will go a different route,” Geonhak ordered, his eyes still glued to the screen. “Do not cross my path unless you wish for punishment.”

Youngjo sighs, facepalming himself for thinking that he had actually upset Geonhak. Of course, it was about this because what else could it possibly be?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hwanwoong and Youngjo discuss Geonhak.

“Do you like it here?” Hwanwoong helps himself to the soft cushion as he joins Youngjo in the main room.

The other shrugs. “It’s alright I guess. Could be worse.” Textbooks are laid open on the coffee table as he writes down notes from the chapters. While he certainly looks productive, it doesn’t show how he hit a brick wall not too long ago and is now just sitting here to kill time. Youngjo puts his pen down as an excuse to take a break from doodling and looks up at the man.

“But what’s the deal with Geonhak?”

Hwanwoong pauses. “I can tell you but you have to promise to keep this a secret.” Youngjo tilts his head ever so slightly so he can process that answer better. “Why? Is it that bad?”

“No, nothing of that sort. It’s just different, that’s all.”

Oh, fuck it. It’s not like things can get any weirder anyways.

“Geonhak acts this way because he is the reincarnation of his former self.”

A pause. Long, silent pause.

“What?” Youngjo blurts out, somehow ending up even more confused than before. As far as he’s concerned, reincarnation is just a belief some people had. You know, like the Buddhist monks up in the mountains. Hwanwoong merely sips his tea. “What do you think his past life was?”

The commanding voice. His speech pattern. The robes. His stiff, yet regal looking posture and hard to decipher poetic phrases.

“A king, obviously.” It looks like he’s correct because the other smiles faintly. “Can you guess which one?”

“No, because I’m not a history buff.” Youngjo scoffs, still not believing that this is the conversation they’re having right now. Reincarnations and dead kings. Great. A part of him is already believing this explanation and he has no idea whether to reject or accept this information or not- maybe he’s going crazy. Is it too late to move out?

“Sejong the great.” There it is. The name that nearly made Youngjo spit out his coffee. Either this is some completely made up the far fetched story because this has gotta be pulling some April fool’s joke when it’s not even April yet or they're insane. “You’re crazy.”

Hwanwoong doesn’t seem the least bit insulted at that accusation. “What other explanation do you have then?” Youngjo squints at him. “You two are both insane.” He shuts his book, abandoning the useless attempt at taking notes.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t be too quick to judge.” The floral man refills his cup of tea. “He’s a lonely man. Ever wonder why he speaks in the past?” A pause to let the hot beverage cool. ”It’s because he remembers everything he’s done in his former life.”

Youngjo thinks back to how many outdated, antiquated phrases Geonhak has used and maybe, as crazy as this sounds, it makes sense to him.

“You share a name with King Youngjo. Geonhak is hoping that you were a reincarnation but it seems like that’s not the case.” It wasn’t a coincidence that he was named after a historical figure. He recalls his mother affectionately petting his head and calling him her little king. “So you can grow big and strong.” She tells him, adjusting the crown on his head before he would be sent off to a Halloween party at his classmate’s house.

“When I saw your application form I knew he wouldn’t want me to turn you down.” Hwanwoong continues, taking yet another sip. That man consumed a higher-than-average amount of tea, Youngjo noticed.

“You’re in charge of that?”

“You want me to hand that responsibility to Geonhak?” He teases, questioning the other’s judgment and Youngjo is reminded of how technologically illiterate that man is.

“What about you, Hwanwoong-ssi? You a reincarnation too?”

“I was the son of a heavenly god, the man whom that myth is based on.” The floral man smiles to himself as he looks down at his reflection in the ceramic cup. “Geonhak told me. I can’t remember my past life but it feels right. I guess that’s why I’ve stuck with him for so long.”

“Perhaps you’re a reincarnation too. Usually, Geonhak isn’t wrong about these sorts of things. Who knows, the longer you stay here you might discover things about yourself. But more importantly,” Hwanwoong taps the cover of Youngjo’s notebook. “Finish studying. You have an exam soon, don’t you? History?”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Well, you’re in luck because I know everything about it.”


	6. Chapter 6

“That is wrong.” Youngjo can practically feel the annoyance radiating off of Geonhak as the historical man reads what the textbook says. The pages the man just so happened to see were covering a battle that happened between two kingdoms and Geonhak couldn’t help but comment on this so-called inaccuracy when he sits down on Hwanwoong’s cushion.

Hwanwoong had left him alone after their short tutoring lesson and not long after a very familiar figure welcomed himself into the room. It seems like wherever Youngjo went, the man followed but he doubted that it was intentional.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It was five hundred soldiers, not eight hundred.” 

“I mean, it’s really not that big of a difference-“ 

“It is!” Geonhak exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the page like he was trying to destroy it. “My men struggled to make up that difference!” 

Youngjo has half a mind to tell him he’s delusional but he bites his tongue, recalling what Hwanwoong told him earlier. He should be kinder to this man- maybe this whole reincarnation thing was real and it probably wouldn’t be nice to act so condescending to Geonhak. 

“We were outnumbered. They fought day and night to fend off their advances. I watched them fall from exhaustion, unable to leave their posts to rest-” Geonhak disregards how heavy the room felt as he continued to rant, his heavy breaths audible yet shoved aside to prioritize the emotions he’s feeling. “It was a bloodbath. I lost my friends that day.”

It seems like he’s forgotten that he’s not alone, that there’s a person sitting across from him. Youngjo purses his lips, unsure of how to act. What could he possibly say to someone who lives in the past? He could barely take care of himself let alone someone who carried so much burden behind that stoic exterior. 

Stress is written all over the blonde man’s face as if vividly recalling the events during that conflict, his expression painted with restless turmoil. They wash over him, disregarding how unprepared he was to be revisiting these thoughts. Youngjo, despite his relative inexperience with these things, does the only thing he can think of- scooting to sit next to him and offering a shoulder for Geonhak to lean on.

Lifting a hand, he reaches up to gently guide the man into leaning onto him.

If there were any doubts about this whole reincarnation thing that still remained, they’re gone after witnessing how shaken up Geonhak is for something that happened ages ago.

It’s not like he would fake it anyways.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjo goes through a brief period of stress because of Geonhak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that Geonhak wanted to be a kindergarten teacher?

Youngjo lost Geonhak. 

How? All he did was turn his head for just a moment and the man vanished. One moment they were walking together and the next he’s gone. 

“Hwanwoong.” Youngjo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose when he calls the other man to inform him of this event. “Geonhak went missing.”

“He’ll find his way back to you.” Is all the other says before there’s a clicking noise, telling him the call ended. How helpful. Hwanwoong didn’t even sound the least bit concerned which says a lot more than any words ever could. Hell, with all this talk about reincarnations he wouldn’t be surprised if Geonhak could magically find him- sort of like a GPS system.

But still, it’s not like he can just leave without Geonhak, magical or not. That would be mean- does he even know how to take the train?

Stressed, Youngjo runs a hand through his hair as he looks around for any traces of his whereabouts. They were walking together because Hwanwoong needed some things from the store-why didn’t he go get it himself?- and Geonhak tagged along, “A walk will clear both of our heads and allow for peaceful thinking.” 

Up above, the sky has begun to turn orange and casts the surrounding area in a warm glow. There’s really nothing that could possibly cause Geonhak to wander off but Youngjo likes to remind himself that the man is oh so random at times. 

Seriously.

The student recalls shuffling into the kitchen for a drink after pulling an all-nighter only to find Geonhak enjoying a cup of ramen. Or how despite coming off as unaware of that hey, it’s the modern era, manages to wipe the floor with him every time the game Battleship is brought up and how he can recite every little fact about gardening- it’s not like Youngjo needed to know how much water a sunflower needs but hey, might be useful in the future. 

It’s been a week since he’s moved in but aside from college and his part-time job, things have been pretty eventful. He was expecting his schedule to rotate between attending lectures, working and staring at a textbook but with the introduction of these two characters named Hwanwoong and Geonhak, it now looked like he needed to set aside time for random events which consisted of running errands for the lilac man- maybe he should ask about getting paid for it.

Youngjo really was considering filing a missing person report when he spots the source of his stress not too far away, walking up to him as if he didn’t just vanish for no reason. The setting sun casts a dark shadow on the ground and Youngjo notes that there’s two shadows instead of one. 

One of them belonged to Geonhak while the other, a small, wide-eyed boy. From here, it really looks like the man is waddling up to him because Youngjo could tell that he was trying to match the boy’s steps. 

It’s cute, really cute, simply because he would never expect the forever stoic Geonhak to entertain a child. 

“He is lost,” Geonhak tells him, a soft look on his face. The boy doesn’t look terribly upset at the prospect of being lost because it seems like he’s really entranced on how _kingly_ this stranger looks. “We should find his parents.”  
  
“You were lost too.” Youngjo deadpans a matter-of-fact look on his face at how easily the other shrugged that detail off. “But yeah,” He crouches down so the boy can look at him comfortably. “We’re gonna take you to the police station too, okay? They can find your mom and dad for you.”  
  
“Okay!” The child exclaims, throwing his hand up enthusiastically. “I have a king taking me too! Isn’t that cool, mister?” Youngjo nods, not bothering to suppress the smile forming on his face as he stands up again. 

“My soldier will guard you,” Geonhak tells him and Youngjo sends him a look. “He will keep you safe.” 

Well, this isn’t how he expected this day to go. Here he is, holding a boy’s hand with Geonhak while they walked to deliver a lost child to the police station. 

“Your soldier doesn’t walk like a soldier.” The child remarks, not looking entirely impressed at how the dark-haired man was carrying himself. Youngjo has half a mind to just give up on this whole pretend thing but it seems like Geonhak would kill him before he can even attempt it with that stern look he just got.

“Where’s your armor?”  
  
“At home.” 

“How are you going to protect him with no sword?”

“With my fists.” Geonhak looks like he’s going to smile but now isn’t the right time for interrogation.  
  
It seems like they don’t need to take a trip down to the station after all. The boy lets go of their hands without warning, abandoning them in favor of a worried-looking woman standing at the center of the playground. “My baby!” She exclaims, scooping him into a tight hug as the two men approach them and releasing him afterward. 

“Mommy, mommy, a king found me!” Youngjo stares at Geonhak as if asking if he introduced himself like that. Leaning down, the blonde man smiles slightly as he raises a hand to pet the boy.

“Listen to your mom, okay? That’s a king’s order.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why these past updates have been early was because of the oneus concert! Geonhak waved at me a lot and I just ;;


	8. Chapter 8

Youngjo peers around the corner and into the hallway when he hears a thud to see Hwanwoong letting a box drop to the floor. He’s wearing high rise pink rubber gloves complete with a mask sitting on the lower half of his face and waves at the student as a greeting.

“What are you…” 

“Cleaning.” He responds, words muffled by the mask.

Ah. Makes sense. Usually the excuse Youngjo uses to put off cleaning is that it would be luckier to clean on new years- you know, get rid of bad luck but it seems like Hwanwoong has other ideas today. It looks like that room has been sitting there for ages because he was fairly sure he saw a cloud of dust float out right now.

“Why?”

“Want more space. Never know when someone might need it.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foreshadowing? Maybe. Nah, it's not like Hwanwoong has some things in store for them...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hwanwoong has money troubles.

Hwanwoong’s lying on the floor outstretched when Youngjo almost trips over him trying to enter the main room.

“Watch it.” Hwanwoong exhales wistfully, eyes glued to the phone in his hand and the elder has half a mind to roll him into a corner where he won’t be a tripping hazard. 

“What’s gotten into you?” He asks, staring down at the rather sorry sight on the floor with a blank look on his face. 

As if given an energy boost, Hwanwoong scrambles, hand thrusting the phone right in his face while his other hand is planted on the floor, knees pressed against it. “Look!” Hwanwoong whines and Youngjo doesn’t even have to squint to read the bold lettering as he’s being stared at intently. 

“You have three hundred left in your account. You’re fine.” 

“You don’t get it.” Hwanwoong sighs, raising the back of his hand to press against his forehead and pretends to feel faint. How dramatic. “Things are so expensive these days,” His act doesn’t end there and the elder moves past him, already feeling drained. “I need more money.”

“Get a job.” 

Another dramatic sigh to go with his fake anguish. “Who else will take care of the garden?” 

“It’s not going to die if you aren’t there.”

“Geonhak?”

“He’ll be fine,” Youngjo mutters as he sits down, body slumped on the low standing coffee table because he’s feeling lazy. Geonhak’s already there, seemingly unaware of the way their conversation shifted to him. “Some alone time isn’t going to kill him.”

“Are you hearing yourself right now?” Hwanwoong chides, pushing himself off the floor. “You think Geonhak would survive by himself for a day?”

Youngjo waves off his whining. “He’s like, right there, you know.”

“Some man gave me his card the other day.” Geonhak cuts in, not seeming to care about the previous conversation. His hand slides into the hidden pocket of his half black-green modern-looking hanbok, producing a rather nice looking business card and placing it on the table. Youngjo has half a mind to ask if that outfit's custom made because they look expensive, like a designer’s item. “He told me to call him.”

Like a hawk, Hwanwoong snatches it before Youngjo could finish reading, his eyes scanning the printed text. “Perfect!” Throwing his arms wide open, Geonhak barely has any time to register the incoming hug until it’s too late and Hwanwoong is already hanging off his back to thank him. 

“This,” Hwanwoong triumphantly holds the business card up like he was giving a victory speech- too bad his audience consisted of just Youngjo because it looks like Geonhak already tuned him out. “Is gold.”

“That’s just ink on cardstock.”

“It’s more than that!” Hwanwoong retorts, pouting at how no one seemed to understand him, phone raised to his ear after tapping in the number. Youngjo still doesn’t know what’s gotten the tiny man all excited, staring blankly when the devilish grin on Hwanwoong’s face starts to overstay its welcome. “Yes, yes, I’m his guardian. Tomorrow? Tomorrow’s perfect. Okay, thanks~” 

Leaning down to pat Geonhak’s head, Hwanwoong’s beaming like nobody’s business. “Geonhak. Show me your camera face.”

“What?” He replies, the look on his face implying that he too, thought the other was crazy.

“Like this.” Momentarily releasing Geonhak from his hug, Hwanwoong gets up only to strike a pose, head tilted thumb pressed to his bottom lip and relaxed posture. Youngjo pretends to be sick at his attempt at being sexy. “Gross.”

Rolling his eyes, Hwanwoong plops back down to lean on the blonde man’s well-defined shoulder.

“So you signed him up for…” Youngjo starts, reaching over to grab the lone snack bag. “A modeling agency, yes.” The student extends his arm for Hwanwoong to help himself to some. “Sounds illegal.” 

“Modeling isn’t-”

“But did Geonhak agree to it?”

“He’ll agree once we’re paid.”

“We’re?”

“I mean,” The shorter wipes the snack flavoring off his finger with a nearby napkin. “This is a lot of effort you know. I have commission fees.” 

Youngjo snorts. “Effort?”

“As his manager, I’m responsible for him. I’m the one booking him for everything, he’s in high demand.” 

“What demand?” The elder prods, not believing that Geonhak would be some sort of idol or famous person. It seems like he’s set off Hwanwoong’s affinity for the dramatic because he’s back at it again, acting as if that question hurt him deeply. 

“You don’t know? Geonhak, tell him about how you were featured in a magazine.”

“I was told the feature was an advertisement you wrote yourself.” 

Hwanwoong waves off that comment sheepishly. “Whatever, the point is he’s famous and you’ll be begging me to be your manager soon.”


	10. Chapter 10

“How’d it go?” Youngjo sits down at the all too familiar table in the main room to eat his take-out lunch. 

“Really good!” Hwanwoong beams, placing a rather thick looking envelope at the center of the table. “All I have to do now is take my cut-”  
  
He’s interrupted when Geonhak, who comes out of nowhere, grabs it before his manager can and slides the bills into his hand. “No.”

“No?” Hwanwoong repeats, lunging forward to reclaim his share of the money. Youngjo tilts his body diagonally in order to avoid a collision and protect his lunch. Geonhak merely holds it out of reach, mocking the tiny man for his lack of height although it’s hard to tell if he means it or not because there’s a no-nonsense look on his face right now.

“Guess he likes money as much as you.” Youngjo comments, bringing a spoonful of rice to his lips. Whining, Hwanwoong strains forward again at another shot of regaining his fair share of the money only to fail once more. Geonhak’s counting bills, making sure it’s all in order and pockets it.

Another high pitched whine.

“Geon, please, I’ll starve to death.”

“You bought clothes yesterday.”

“They were on sale.” Hwanwoong pouts, palms flat on the table in protest at this treatment. He’s not going to back down without a fight- sure, Geonhak may be taller but does that really matter? 

Instead of replying, Youngjo watches Geonhak extend the envelope to Hwanwoong. 

The other eyes it, confused. “It’s empty.” No response. The envelope isn’t retracted even after pointing out that detail. Geonhak continues to stare at him and Hwanwoong obliges, fingers gripping the envelope to take it. Peering inside, Hwanwoong’s surprised to find that there are a few bills left for him. 

“Oh.” Looking up, he’s ready to thank him for being tolerant of his whining but the man has already begun walking away and Hwanwoong scrambles to get up and chase after him, leaving Youngjo to finish his lunch. 

“And I still haven’t gotten paid.” He mutters to himself, waiting for the day that paycheck would be deposited into his bank account. Maybe he should call that _friend_ to ask where the hell his money is.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geonhak tries to jog Youngjo's memory.

Geonhak holds up a historical looking scroll, unrolling it to reveal a painted portrait of a rather young looking man. Maybe that thing belonged in a museum because it looked pretty darn old like the other man dug it out of the attic after five hundred years. “You looked like this.” Geonhak insists, staring intently like a dog waiting for its owner to return home.

“Huh,” Youngjo remarks, leaning in. “You’re right. Damn, I look really good too…”  
  
“Arrogance was a big feature in your personality.” 

“Amazing.” Youngjo smirks, eyebrow raised in a smug expression. “My good looks aren’t limited by something as trivial as time.” Geonhak continues to stare and the other can already imagine him like a dog with his tail wagging intensely. 

“Are you remembering now?” He presses, moving the scroll way too close like that would definitely bring back those memories. Youngjo was merely returning from the bathroom when Geonhak approached him with the object in his hands and practically dragged him into the main room for a meeting at the table. It’s not like he had anything else to do so why not entertain this guy for a bit? 

“Zip, zero, nada. Sorry, Geon.” Disappointed, Geonhak sits back, putting distance between them once again. Turning, he pulls the simple-looking box he brought with him closer and rummages through it. Youngjo watches, curious to see what he’s looking for and pauses in disbelief at what’s being brought out.

“Is that…”  
  
“A replica.” Geonhak finishes, brandishing a sheathed sword in the air. “The real one is at the museum.” 

How that thing fit in the box, he didn’t know. 

“You used this sword often, it was a favorite of yours.” The younger tells him, holding out the weapon for him to take.

“Woah,” The sword weighs heavy, closer to what Youngjo imagined a real one would be and grips the hilt with his other hand, feeling the smoothed metal on his skin. He pulls, unsheathing the sword and revealing a polished silver blade. “Cool…”

Getting up, Youngjo doesn’t really think before swinging it and earning himself a loud yelp from Hwanwoong, who was lucky enough to avoid getting his nose sliced off. 

“Yah!” He hisses, scooting away from the sword-wielding college student after composing himself from the near-miss. “That’s dangerous-” The other jokingly takes a step forward and Hwanwoong screeches at him to take that thing somewhere else. 

Amused, Geonhak watches this scene unfold but decides that it would be safer if they went somewhere else. Smoothing the folds on his robes, he stands, moving to tap Youngjo’s shoulder to tell them that they should move.

Hwanwoong doesn’t take his eyes off Youngjo until he and the sword are nowhere close to him.


	12. Chapter 12

“You have good form.” Geonhak praises, sitting on a nearby bench in the garden. It was a pride of his, having spent an unbelievable amount of time taking care of the greenery. 

“Really? I’m just swinging this thing around.” Youngjo huffs, a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead. “It’s heavy. Real heavy.” It’s a bit silly but this feels like he’s making his younger self happy, recalling a time when he was obsessed with that emperor's display in the museum near his hometown. “Think I can lose weight with this?” Grinning, he raises the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat.  
  
Geonhak nods.

This takes him way back to when he was Sejong, back when they were young enough to stay out of political affairs. Back when there were no tensions between their respective kingdoms to the point where they would be allowed to spend time together- he remembered the tornado that was Youngjo, the ever bright and charismatic young prince who always seemed unable to sit still with a penchant for disturbing his peace.

“What are you staring at?” 

Blinking, Geonhak shakes his head a bit before standing up. “Nothing. I was thinking.” Sliding the sword back into its sheath, Youngjo stands relaxed but the other can’t help but stop and look at how identical this image is compared to the past- the only thing that’s different is the clothes. 

Maybe he can convince him to put a hanbok.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjo forgets to eat.

This paper needs to be finished. Draining his fourth cup of coffee, Youngjo tosses the empty beverage into the trash can at the corner of the room as he yawns. With the student now engrossed with his work, Youngjo loses all track of time until he’s startled out of it when someone knocks on his door. 

It’s Geonhak, politely inviting himself into the elder’s room. The box in his hand is slightly larger than last time and… nicer looking? Youngjo watches as he places the box down on his bed. What could it possibly be? He looks strangely proud of himself too, whatever’s inside must be something good. 

The sound of rustling tissue paper can be heard and Youngjo turns his attention back to the paper that’s nearly complete. Once again, he’s interrupted- this time by the sudden appearance of a dark blue fabric right in front of his face.

“What’s that?”   
  
Geonhak moves the garment out of the other’s way once he has his attention and unfurls it to reveal its nice pale-gold trim detail. “A hanbok.”

“Looks nice,” Youngjo comments. “Did you buy it for yourself?” 

Shaking his head, Geonhak extends the hanbok to him. “I bought it for you.” 

Pausing, the other takes a moment to process this information. “Why?” 

“We will be going somewhere.” 

“I have to finish this-”   
  
“Are you hungry?” This sudden change in conversation is enough to have Youngjo blink. 

“Uh, kind of?” As if on cue, his stomach decides to let out the most obnoxious growl ever. It seems like “kind of” is an understatement because he’s fairly sure he spent all day in the bedroom working on assignments and only took breaks for the occasional snack.

Geonhak gives Youngjo a blank, questioning stare.

“I forgot to eat.” Youngjo sheepishly tells him.


	14. Chapter 14

Youngjo was not ashamed to say that he needed help putting the hanbok on. Luckily for him, it seems like this was Geonhak’s specialty. How he was talked into this, he didn’t know but if he had to guess- it was probably because of food.    
  
“Is it too tight?” The younger asks in a soft tone as he ties knots the belt to make sure nothing looked out of place. 

“It’s fine.” 

Humming, Geonhak’s reminded of how he-Sejong-would be the one fixing Youngjo’s attire. It felt like a daily occurrence now that he looked back. Perhaps it was intentional on the young prince’s part because neither of them went a day without being tended to by servants. He was always fond of pranks, after all. 

“You are too messy.” Geonhak would say, approaching the other and adjusting the crooked pieces of his outfit only to have that comment brushed off.

“And you are too neat,” Youngjo mumbles as if he wasn’t fond of this sort of attention. “A servant would be easier to deal with.” It’s not like Geonhak did this while they were out- although he did have a tendency to point out the little details right before they left the privacy of their rooms. 

It’s oddly relaxing, having Geonhak this close to him. He’s careful, fingers moving swiftly to deal with all the details any normal person would miss and steps back once he’s done.

There’s something amusing about him being younger than the college student in this new life. 

“How do I look?” Youngjo asks, feeling just a little bit proud of how well the hanbok fit on him. Knowing Geonhak, this must be as authentic as it gets. 

“Like a king.” The other answers, a smile decorating his face. 


End file.
